Country Lore: Okra Seeds Are a Treat

A Tennessee couple has discovered okra seeds will still be good to eat if pods aren't harvested in time.

By Robert LaFollette

| August/September 2010

Okra seeds are a tasty and convenient addition to salads and stir-fries.PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO/EGAL

We spend much of our summer preserving the garden bounty as pickles, sauces, and salsas. When the summer heat and humidity are at their worst, okra seems to be at its best. But small, tender okra quickly turn into monstrous green horns that aren’t the best for eating, if you happen to miss a few days picking. So, what do you do with extra okra — especially if it’s a little too big for eating?

My wife and I discovered a few years ago that the swollen white seeds inside the okra pods are tender and tasty. We eat them fresh on salads and add them to stir-fries. To harvest these little gems, simply slice the pod lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, then rinse. Okra seeds will keep well in the refrigerator for four to five days. For really big pods, squeeze a seed between two fingers. If it doesn’t squish easily, the seeds are too mature and won’t taste good.

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